Aerith & Cloud's Heart to Heart
by WantedGeek
Summary: We go back to the events that transpired after Cosmo Canyon Aerith takes a moment to reflect and Cloud becomes the one who offers comfort and advice to the forlorn flower girl. Who would have though it hm? Enjoy this heart warming little snippet of the past.


The brunette was elated as always – Her face was of course defined with her trademark gentle smile and soft features. She wore this like a uniform, even sometimes when she didn't entirely feel like it, she would put the uniform on just as she always did.

Her long auburn hair was tied into a long plait that trailed down to the small of her back with soft wavy bangs cascading down either side of her face.

Her hair blew gently, this way and that in the summer breeze, and her light pink silken dress hugged her porcelain skin tightly – the lower and looser part of the dress joined her hair in this windy dance as it began to flutter around her legs.

Her brown hide boots made a soft padding sound as she strolled slowly through the vast woodland around her.

The sunlight broke through gaps in the canopy above and the kind natured woman sighed with content ~ Never did she feel as at peace as she did right now.

The trees made a soft hushing sound as the wind blew through each individual branch and leaf, causing the birds to erupt in a sweet song.

The place was glowing in, yellow, green, pink and blue ~ in some places, golden beams of sunlight lit up different sections on the ground making it look like the area was being blessed by the sunlight.

Mother nature at her finest…She was truly in her element.

"Aerith." A deep, soft and stoic voice broke through her peaceful meditation and made her jump in reaction.

"Oh goodness! Cloud…I'm sorry!" She giggled nervously as her cheeks tinted a light pink in her embarrassment. "I zoned out there for a moment…I forgot that I wasn't alone."

She smiled softly as she turned to her blonde friend by the name of Cloud, entwining her hands behind her back and tilting her head in silent curiosity.

It hadn't been long since she met the young man who had fallen from the sky ~ Just as another even younger man of a similar standing had done so 7 years before. ..The younger man from all those years ago was known by the name of Zack Fair, First Class Soldier.

Oh how alike these two men were… It was almost too coincidental to believe.

Cloud claimed to be a First Class member of the Soldier faction as well and wore the same deep amethyst Soldier uniform as Zack did. His hair was spiked up in a similar style to Zack's also. He even had the same mannerisms…that same cocky stance.

She inwardly grinned at this.

The only difference of course were their temperaments…Cloud seemed very reserved, forlorn at times and his hair of course, was Blonde ~ The same… yet, it was almost like they were light and dark. It was very puzzling to say the least…

"Aerith…you shouldn't disappear like that." Cloud murmured with slight annoyance in his voice, shifting his eyes left to right quickly and placing his right arm on the handle of the large sword that lay affixed in a holster attached to his back.

He flicked his left wrist and arm forward in a gesture, before rising it upward to push a stray blonde spike from his face - his Mako infused azure gaze bore into her and he did not break eye contact.

Aerith squirmed ever so slightly.

"Oh…yes of course. I'm sorry Cloud – It's just, I've never actually been into woodland as beautiful as this before, or even this far outside of Midgar… I can't believe I've never ventured this far before…it's awe inspiring." She giggled happily once again, her voice filled with wonderment.

"Really." The blonde retorted, a slight surprise in his voice._ I thought she loved flowers…I can't believe she's never even left Midgar …I was convinced she was the outdoorsy type…_

"Yes, really." She nodded and smiled gently, her voice soft. "All these flowers!" She beamed raising onto her tip toes and spreading her arms wide gesturing to all the wildlife around her. "It's absolutely wonderful…I must come here more often…" She trailed off slightly on the last part – and her smile had become a little lighter than before – her features a little heavier and more serious.

Cloud noted this.

"Is something wrong?" He raised an eyebrow, genuinely concerned at the out-of-character Aerith. "You've been…distant since Cosmo Canyon…" He noted aloud folding his arms, again not lifting his azure gaze from the brunette's own emerald one.

"I-I'm fine Cloud." Aerith frowned a little, shifting her gaze to the ground. "It's just-" She looked up once again before she continued, as if pre-evaluating how this conversation would pan out.

"Cloud…" The far from home flower girl placed her hands together, looking down at them. "…How do you stay so strong? When hope seems so shrouded in darkness…" She asked honestly, but poetically – such that was Aerith's way.

Cloud could almost hear the lump stuck in her throat as she spoke and he was taken aback to say the least. _Why is she asking me this? _He thought.

"Well…I suppose it's honour…something someone told me once…" Cloud nodded slowly, and blinked hard shaking his head as if to clear some unwelcome vision that had momentarily entered his head. "I think…"

"Honour…" She repeated in a low mutter, still looking at her small delicate hands.

_Just like him._

Aerith's hands were shaking a little and Cloud again had noted this – his body went a bit tense and he took a footstep forward closer to Aerith, curling a gloved hand towards her – why did he feel so protective of her? "Aerith…" He mumbled. Something didn't feel right at all.

The brunette blinked hard remembering the conversation that she had experienced in her mind's eye from a voice that only she was able to hear the night before. It had happened during Budenhagen's explanation of the death of the planet and it had chilled her to the bone.

Aerith shook her head and gulped, swallowing that audible lump. _Honour…he's right…they are both right. _She thought again as her frown became a soft smile, and her hands stopped trembling.

"A Cetra's honour…"She muttered, and then raised her gaze to meet Cloud's – her smile becoming brighter.

Cloud lowered his out-stretched hand to this and placed it loosely at his side as he tilted his head in slight confusion, yet the smile from the young maiden didn't calm his earlier protective thoughts for some reason.

"Thank you Cloud…" The brunette nodded determinedly. "…Honour is a very important thing – we should all rise to protect it and the ones we care for, no matter what."

Cloud wanted to smile back at her – say something inspiring, anything - but something was stopping him. All he could do was stare for a moment and listen to the breeze rustling through the trees before he felt it blow gently across his cheek. He blinked coming back to reality and nodded to Aerith. "I guess…" He mumbled – It was truly all he could muster, but he knew Aerith wouldn't judge him harshly for this.

"We…should really get back to the others." Cloud stated as he gestured over his shoulder towards the small camp that Tifa, Barret, Yuffie, Cait Sith and Vincent were resting their weary feet at.

"You're right." She nodded still with a smile. "I- I'll catch you up if that's alright. I won't be far behind, I promise."

Cloud hesitated a moment. He looked around the area and then looked back to Aerith – With a slow nod, he turned around and receded back to camp, looking over his shoulder briefly before he disappeared behind a large old tree.

Aerith watched him as he disappeared out of sight and let out a little sigh.

The brunette took a long look around her; she took in the detail of each branch, each leaf, each rock, and each wonderful sound that created a lovely melody in her head – nature…all that made her so happy.

Suddenly, a single tear fell down her cheek, but she blinked the rest away looking up towards the sky and taking in the wonderful warm sunlight that hit her pale skin.

"I knew you were there…" She whispered, barely audible as she placed her hands together in prayer. "…One day very soon, we shall meet again." She smiled and felt as if she had finally accepted her fate.

With a new clarity, she headed back towards camp towards her dear, dear friends.

She would make sure that she made the most of every last precious moment she had left with them – and she would smile… even as she took her last breath.


End file.
